1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a housing of an electric connector having a terminal space into which an electrically conductive terminal to which a cable is connected is inserted.
2. Description of the Related Art
A female terminal or an electrically conductive terminal connected at a proximal end thereof to a cable is inserted into a terminal space formed in a housing of an electric connector. In order to prevent the female terminal from being slipped out of the terminal space, the terminal space is generally designed to include a lance at a wall thereof to be engaged with a recess of the female terminal.
However, when the female terminal is inserted into an incorrect terminal space, the female terminal has to be pulled out of the terminal space, and be inserted into a correct terminal space. Accordingly, it is necessary to disengage the lance and the recess of the female terminal from each other.
Japanese Patent Application Publications Nos. H7(1995)-282883 and 2003-243078 have suggested the disengagement of the lance and the recess of the female terminal from each other.
FIG. 19 is a perspective view of the connector housing suggested in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. H7(1995)-282883.
The illustrated connector housing 1000 includes a housing 1008 having a terminal space 1002 into which a terminal 1001 is inserted, and flexible lock 1004 arranged in the terminal space 1002. The flexible lock 1004 divides the terminal space 1002 into an upper space and a lower space 1005, and is designed to include in the upper space a protrusion 1003 to be engaged with the terminal 1001 having been inserted into the terminal space 1002. The flexible lock 1004 can be bent into the lower space 1005. The flexible lock 1004 is formed in the lower space 1005 with a protrusion 1007. The flexible lock 1004 is bent in a direction in which the protrusion 1003 and the terminal 1001 are disengaged from each other, by engaging the protrusion 1007 to a jig inserted into the lower space 1005 through an opening 1006.
FIG. 20 is a perspective view of the connector suggested in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2003-243078.
The illustrated connector 1100 includes a lance 1101 having a front end acting as a stopper 1102 for preventing a female terminal from slipping out of the connector. The connector 1100 includes, adjacent to the stopper 1102, a wedge 1103 along which a jig slides. By causing a jig to slide along the wedge 1103, the lance 1101 is resiliently bent to thereby allow the stopper 1102 to slip out of the female terminal.
In the connector housing 1000 illustrated in FIG. 19, the protrusion 1007 is downwardly pushed to thereby deform the flexible lock 1004 in a direction in which the terminal 1001 and the connector housing 1000 are disengaged from each other. However, since the protrusion 1007 protrudes in the space 1005, the space 1005 has to be sufficiently large to allow the protrusion 1007 to move therein, resulting in that the housing 1008 cannot avoid being large.
In the connector 1100 illustrated in FIG. 20, since the wedge 1103 is situated adjacent to the stopper 1102 formed at a front end of the lance 1101, the lance 1101 has to be formed wide. Furthermore, it is necessary to form an opening through which a jig is inserted into the connector 1100, and a space in which the inserted jig goes forward, in a terminal space in which a terminal is housed, resulting in that the a housing of the connector 1100 has to be formed large.